it for some competent space of time his pouring out of the Spirit the Apostles witnessing the truth of it in the teeth of opposition his appearing from Heaven to Paul the prophesies of the Old Testament foretelling of it the Miracles wrought to confirm it the holiness of the Persons who were employed as chosen Witnesses their unconcernedness in all temporal Interests their hazarding of all their success It would make a volum to give you the evidences 2. Your own Resurrection what may facilitate our belief and hope of it 1. Consider it is a work of Omnipotency We are apt to say how can it be that when our bodies are turned into dust and that dust mingled with other dust and hath undergone many transmutations that â—very one shall have his own body and flesh again Why consider the Infinite and Absolute Power of God and this will make it more reconcileable to your thoâ—ghts and this hard point will be of easier digestion to your Faith To an Infinite power there is no difficulty at all Phil. 3.21 According to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself He appeals to Gods power how much Gods power out-works our thoughts for he were not infinite if he might be comprehended We are not fit Judges of the extent of his power many things are marvellous in our eyes which are not so to his Zech. 8.6 Therefore we must not confine God to the limits of created bâ—ings or our finite understandings Alass our Cockel-â—hell cannot empty an Ocean we do no more know what God can do than a worm knoweth a man He that made the world out of nothing cannot he raise the dead He that brought such multitudes of creatures out of the dark Chaos hath he forgotten what is become of our dust He that gave Life and Being to that which before was not cannot he raise the dead He that turned Moses Rod into a Serpent and from a Serpent into a Rod again cannot he raise us out of dust into men and â—uâ—n us from men into dust and from the same dust 〈◊〉 us up into the same men and women â—â—ain 2. We have a releif from the Justice of God All will grant that God is and that God is a rewarder of good and bad Now in this Life he doth not dispense these rewards Many times here instruments of publick good are made a sacrifice to publick hatred and wicked men have the world at will therefore there is a Judgment when this life is ended and if there be a Judgment men must be capable to receive reward and punishment You will say so they are by having an immortal Soul I but the soul is not all of a man the body is a part it hath had its share in the work and therefore it is most equal to conceive it shall have its share in the reward and punishment It is the body which is gratified by the pleasure of sin for a season the body which hath endured the trouble and pain of Faithful obedience unto Christ therefore there shall be a Resurrection of just and unjust that men may receive according to what they have done in the body God made the whole man therefore glorifies and punishes the whole man The Apostle urgeth this as to the Godly 1 Cor. 15.29 3. Gods unchangeable Covenant-Love â—â—â—ch inclines him to seek the dust of his â—onfederates God hath taken a believer into Covenant with himself body and soul therefore Christ proveth the Resurrection from Gods Covenant-Title Matth. 22.31 To be a God is certainly to be a Benefactor Gen. 25.26 Not blessed be Shem but blessed be the Lord God of Sem. And to be a Benefactor becoming an Infinite Eternal Power If he had not Eternal Glory to bestow upon us he would not justifie his Covenant-Title Heb. 11.16 To whom God is a benefactor he is a Benefactor not to one part onely but to their whole Persons Their bodies had the mark of his Covenant upon them their dust is in Covenant with him and where-ever it is dispersed he will look after it Their death and rotting in the Grave doth not make void his Interest nor cause his Care and Affection towards them to cease 4. We have relief also from the Redemption of Christ which extendeth to the bodies of the Saints as it is often interpreted in Scripture as where Christ speaks of his fathers charge this was a special Article in the Eternal Covenant Ioh. 6.39 40. This is the will of my Father that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing but raise it up at the last day Christ hath ingaged himself to this he is the Guardian of the Grave as Rispah kept the dead bodies of Sauls sons 2 Sam. 21.10 Christ hath the keyes of death and hell he hath a charge of the Elect to the very day of their Resurrection that he may make a good account of them and may not lose so much as their dust but gather it up again What shall I say when the intention of his death is spoken of 1 Thes. 5.10 That whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him that is whether dead or alive for they that are dead in the Lord are said to be fallen asleep Whether we live or die we should live a spiritual life here and eternal life in Glory hereafter So where the obligation 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price There would be no consequence if Christ had not purchased the body as well as the Soul and Christ will not lose one jot of his purchase if he expect duty from thâ— body you may expect glory for the body so redemption is particularly applyed to the body Rom. 8.23 Waiting for the Adoption the redemption of our bodies Then is Christs Redemption full when the body is exempted from all the penalties induced by sin 5. The honour which is put upon the bodies of the Saints 1. They are members of Christ 1 Cor. 6.15 Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ shall I then take the Members of Christ and make them members of an harlot God forbid No Members of Christ can for ever remain under death but shall certainly bâ— raised up again When a Godly Man â—â—eth the union between Soul and Body is dissolved but not the union between him and Christ as Christs own natural body in the grave was not separated from his Person and the Hypostatical Union was not dissolved it was the Lord of Glory which was crucified and the Lord of Glory which was lâ—yed in the Grave so the Mystical 〈◊〉 is not dissolved between Christ and 〈…〉 who are his Mystical Body 〈◊〉 they are dead 2. They are Temples of the holy Ghost therefore if they be destroyed they shall be built up again 1 Cor. 6.19 Know ye not that your bodies are temples of the holy Ghost As Christ redeemed not the soul onely but the whole man so the Spirit in Christs Name takes
Scriptures Isa. 4.2 Christ is prophesied of In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely When he is called the Branch of the Lord his Godhead is signified when he is called the fruit of the earth his Manhood So again Isâ— 7.14 A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and thou shalt call his name Immâ—â—uel That is to say God with us which can agree to none but to hiâ— that is God and Man So that this Mystery of God Incarnate was not hid from the Church of the Old Testament for his very Name did import God with us or God in our Nature reconciling us to himself So Isa. 9.6 To us a child is born to us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called The wonderful Counseller the mighty God the everlasting father the prince of peace Who can interpret these speeches and Aâ—â—ributes but of one who is God-Man How could he else be a child and yet the Everlasting Father born of a Virgin and yet the Mighty God So Isa. 11.1 with the 4th Verse A rod out of the Sâ—em of Iesse and a branch out of his roots Therefore Man And verse 4. He shall smiâ—e the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall be slay the wicked Therefore God So Isa. 53.8 He shall be taken from prison and judgement therefore Man yet who shall declare his generation therefore God So Ier. 23.5 6. A branch raised unto David from his deaâ— stock therefore Man yet the Lord or Iehovah our righteousness therefore God Shall I urge that speech whereby Jesus did silence divers of the Learned Pharisees Psal. 110.1 The Lord said to my Lord sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool He was born in the mean Estate of humane Flesh and King Davids seed and yet Davids Lord which he could not be if he were not God himself the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Well then he was Davids Son as Man but Davids Lord as he was God And so do many of the Ancient Iewish Rabbins interpret this place So again Micah 5.2 Thou Bethlehem Sphratah Though thou â—e little among the thousands of Iudah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from old from everlasting He is born in Bethlehem yet his goings forth are from everlasting He came out of Bethlehem and therefore Man his goings forth are from everlasting and therefore God So Zech. 12.10 I will pour out the spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced He is God because he giveth the spirit of grace Man because he is pierced or crucified So Zech. 13.7 Against the man my fellow A man he was but Gods companion his only begotten son and co-essential with himself and so God Secondly Come we now to the New Testament in which this mystery is more plainly and fully demonstrated There often the son of Man is plainly asserted to be also the Son of God Thomas calleth him his Lord his God Ioh. 20.28 We are told that the word was made flesh Ioh. 1.14 That God purchased the Church with his own blood Acts 20.28 which can be understood of no other but Christ by whose blood we are redeemed and who being Incarnate hath blood to shed for us But God as a pure Spirit hath not flesh and blood and bones as we have So Rom. 1.3 4. Iesus Christ was made of the seed of David according to the flesh but declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness c. In respect of his Divine subsistence he was begotten not made in regard of his humane Nature made not begotten True Man as David was and True God as the Spirit and Divine Nature is Again Rom. 9.5 Whose are the fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Than which nothing can be said more express as to that nature which is most apt to be questioned for surely he that is God over all cannot be said to be a mere Creature The Jews confessed him to be Man and one of their blood and Paul asserteth him to be God over all They accounted him to be accursed and Paul asserteth him to be blessed for ever They thought him inferiour to the Patriarchs of whom he descended and Paul over all so that no word is used in vain and when he saith according to the flesh he insinuateth another Nature in him to be considered by us The next place is 1 Cor. 2.8 They Crucified the Lord of Glory He was Crucified there his humane nature is acknowledged but in respect of the Divine nature he is called the Lord of Glory as in the 24th Psalm The Lord or King of Glory is Iehovah Sabaoth The Lord of Hosts Go we farther Phil. 2.6 7. Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with Gon but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of men By the form of God is meant not only the divine Majesty and Glory but also the divine essence it self for without it there can be no true divine Majesty and Glory Now this he kept hidden under his humane nature letting onely some small Rayes sometimes to shine forth in his Miracles but that which was most sensible and conspicuous in him was a true humane Nature in a low and contemptible estate Again 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in our Flesh. That is the Eternal Son of God became Man and assumed the humane nature into the unity of his person Once more 1 Pet. 3.18 He was put to death in the flesh but quickned in the spirit That is dyed according to his humane nature but by his divine nature raised from the Dead 't is not meant of his soul quickned signifies not one remaining alive but made alive that power belongeth to God Secondly By Types Those that come to hand are these 1. Melchisedec Gen. 14.18 Melchisedec King of Salem brought forth bread and wine to Abraham Which Type is interpreted by the Apostle Heb. 7.2 3. First being by interpretation King of Righteousness and after that also King of peace Without Father and without Mother having neither beginning of dayes nor end of Life but made like unto the Son of God abideth a priest continually What Melchisedec was is needless to dispute The Apostle considereth him only as he is represented in the story of Moses who maketh no mention of his Father or Mother Birth or Death Certainly he was a very Man but as he standeth in Scripture there is no mention of Father or Mother beginning or end what he was or of whom
person when he giveth him glorious qualities and powers or by revealing and manifesting those glorious qualities which he hath or when he doth receive him and treat him agreeably to his Glory The meaning of Christs prayer then must be of one or other of all these senses when he prayeth that the father would glorifie him with that glory that he had with him before the world was if you take it in the first sense he dâ—sireth that God would bestow upon him as Mediator or God Incarnate a Glory sutable to that Glory he had with him from all Eternity If in the second sense he desireth his Glory may be revealed or become conspicucus in his humane nature If in the third that God would receive him honourably and agreeably to that Glory which sense is the chiefest for it containeth the other two The meaning then in short is that he might be received to the full enjoyment of that glory which he had before the World was Christ was from all Eternity the glorious God this Glory of his Godhead by his humiliation was not diminished and lessened but obscured and hidden and therefore prayeth that he may be received by the Father and openly declared to the World to be the Son of God Or that the Glory of his Godhead might shine forth in the person of Christ God-man Well then before any creature was Christ had a divine Glory how had it he The enemies of this Truth say by decree or designation not by possession but that cannot be he that is not hath nothing if he had not a divine being how could he have divine Glory before the World None can say Paul was an Apostle of Christ before the World was because he was appointed or designed to this work yea none can say he had Faith and brotherly love when he was yet an unbeliever and persecutor yet it pleased God to separate him from his Mothers Womb and predestinated him to have these things Again then all true believers may thus pray to God glorifie me with c. for they are thereunto appointed but this is absurd Besides if he had it then how could he want it now The decree is the same it remaineth then that Christ had a being and substance in the Godhead before any of the Creatures were made VSE 1. This serveth for the confutation of those Atheists that say Christ took upon him the appellation of a God to make his Doctrine more authentick and effectual they confess the morals of Christianity are most excellent for the establishment of Piety and Honesty but mens inclination carrying them more powerfully to vice then vertue this doctrine would not be received with any reverence if it came recommended to them by a mere man and therefore Christ assumed the glorious appellation of the Son of God or pretended to be God A blasphemy very derogatory both to the honour of Christ and Christianity and quite contrary to the drift of the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament The Messiah promised in the Old Testament was to be God all the Prophets agree in that Jesus Christ proved himself to be God both by his Word and Works and the Apostles still assert it Could they that lived in so many several Ages as the Prophets and Apostles did lay their heads together and have intelligence one with another to convey this Imposture to the World Surely if Christ be the Messiah promised in the Old Testament as clearly he is then he is God for that describeth him to be such and if Christ usurped this honour how did God so highly favour him with such exâ—raordinary Graces by iâ—spiring him with the knowledge of the best Religion in the World to authorise him with miracles to raise him from the dead And must this Religion that condemneth all frauds and doing evil that good may come of it be supported by a lye or cannot God govern the World without countenancing such a deceit or is it possible that such Holy persons as our Lord Jesus and his Apostles were could be guilty of such an Imposture Did they do this by command of God No surely for God which is the God of Truth would not command them to teach a lye or to make use of one He hath power enough to cause the Truth to be embraced by some other means and a greater injury cannot be done him then to go about to gratifie him with what he hateth much less would God have commanded a mere man to call himself his Eternal Son and God equal to him which is a blasphemy and sacriledge as well as a lye the greatest of the kind for mortal man to take upon himself to be the eternal God If it were not by his express commandment would he suffer such an attempt to go unpunished would he witness from Heaven this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased would he have raised him from the dead and so ingaged the World to believe in him and adore him Acts 17.31 2. If Christ were before all things let us prefer him above all things This consideration is of great use to draw off our hearts from all created things and to lessen our respects to wordly vanities that they may be more earnestly fixed on what is eternal and glorious He that was before the world was will be when the world shall be no more Christ is from Everlasting to Everlasting Psal. 90.2 to him should we look after him should we seek he is first and last the beginning and ending It is for an Everlasting blessedness for the injoyment of an eternal God that our souls were made He that was from the beginning will be when all things shall have an end it is he that should take up our minds and thoughts How can we have room for so many thoughts about fading glories when we have an Eternal God and Christ to think of What light can we see in a Candle when the Sun shineth in his full strength All things in the World serve onely for a season and then wither and that season is but a short one You glory in your Riches and preeminence now but how long will you do so To day that House and Lands is thine but thou canst not say it will be thine tomorrow but a believer can say my God my Christ is mine to day and will be mine to all eternity Death taketh all from us honours and riches and strength and life but it cannot take God and Christ from us they are ours and everlastingly ours Secondly We come now to the second point his sustaining all things by his Almighty power and by â—im all things consist Doct. II. That as Christ made all things so he doth sustain them in being and working Let me explain this how the creatures are preserved by Christ. 1. This is to be understood not only meritoriously as a moral cause but efficiently as a natural cause of the creatures sustentation for the Apostle
The Priviledges are so greaâ—â—hich are these Pardon of sins and 〈◊〉 Grace and at length Eternal Gloâ—â— 1 Pardon of Sins By this Union with him he is made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 A sacrifice for sin that we might be justified and accepted with God 2. Sanctifying Grace by the communication of his Spirit We not onely agree with him in the same common humane Nature but the same holy Nature may be in us that was in Christ Heb. 2.11 We are doubly a-kin ratione incarnationis suae regenerationis nostrae 3 At length Eternal Glory followeth for what is the condition of the Head that is also the condition of the Members first Christ then they that are Christs And also Christ is set up as a pattern to which the Church must be conformed Rom. 8.29 Bating the preheminence due to the Head we are to be Glorious as he is Glorious 2. The Duties are far above bare humane power and strength therefore we need the influence of our Head Ioh. 15.5 To obey God to believe in his name to deny our selves in what is most dear and precious to us in the world to be fortified against all Temptations are duties not so easily done as said 2. We have so fouly miscarried already that he will no more trust his honour in our hands but hath put the whole treasure of Grace into the hands of Christ for our use Ioh. 1.16 So Ioh. 3.35 36. The father hath put all things into his hands He that believes on the son hath overlasting life and he that believes not the son hath not seen life God would not leave us to our selves to live apart from him but hath put all things that belong to our happiness into his hands that being united to him vertue might be communicated to us even all the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit They are not intrusted with us but with him and we shall have no more of Pardon Grace and Glory but what we have in and from the Son of God VSES Use I. Is Information To shew how much we are bound to God for putting this honour upon us that Christ should be our head Christ is over the Angels in point of Superiority and Government but not properly said to be an head to them in that strict notion which implies relation to the Church As to influence he is not an head to them You will say they are confirmed by him but the Mediation of Christ presupposes the Fall of Adam for Christ had not been Mediator if Adam had never fallen Now if Christ should come to confirm Angels if this had not been is groundless besides Christ merited for those that have benefit by him and the consummate act of his Merit is his Death but where is it said that he died for Angels II. It informs us of the shameless Usurpation abetted by the Papists who call the Pope head of the Church None can be a Head of the Church to whom the Church is not a Body but it would be strange to say the Church is the Popes body None can be a governing head of the Church but he who is a Mediatorial Head of Vital influence The Papists indeed distinguish these things ascribe the one to the Pope the other to Christ but the Scripture allows not this Writ of Partition None can be the one but he must also be the other But they say he is a ministerial head but a ministerial Universal Head that shall give law to other Churches and christian societies and if they depend not on him shall be excluded from the Priviledges of a Christian Church this is as to matter of Right Sacriledge for this honour is too great for any man and Christ hath appointed no such head and therefore it is a manifest Usurpation of his Royal Prerogative without his leave and consent And as to matter of Fact it is impossible the Church being scattered throughout all parts of the World which can have no commerce with such an head in matters essential to its Government and Edification They that first instituted such an universal Head besides that they had no Authority or Commission so to do were extreamly imprudent and perverters of Christianity Therefore let us consider how it came up at first and how it hath been exercised It came up at first for the prevention of schisms and divisions among Christians they thought fit the Church should be divided into certain Diocesâ—es according to the secular division of the Empire which at first were thirteen in number under the names of Patriarchs and Bishops of the first See who should join in common care and counsel for the good of the christian common-wealth Among these some who in regard of the cities wherein they resided were more eminent than the rest and began to incroach upon the others Jurisdiction till at length they were reduced to four The Bishop of Rome being the Imperial City had the precedency not of Authority super reliqous but of place and order inter reliquos It was potestas honoraria a difference or authority by courtesie afterwards ordinaria an ordinary power then what was de facto given was afterwards challenged de jure 2. Let us consider how this power hath been exercised to the Introduction of Idolatry and divers corruptions and superstitions to the destruction of Kingdoms the blood of the Martyrs and tumults and confusions too long to relate II. Vse To perswade you to accept Christ as your head we are to preach him as Lord 2 Cor. 4.5 you are to receive him as Lord Col. 2.6 our consent is necessary God hath appointed him and the Church appointeth him God by authority the Church by consent We voluntarily acknowledge his dignity and submit unto him both with a consent of dependance and subjection Some God draweth to Christ and gives them to him and him to them Ioh. 6.44 All that live within hearing have means to seek this Grace and if they so do they shall not lose their labour Gods set not men about unprofitable work mind but the duties of the baptismal covenant and the business is at an end Acts 2.39 III. Vse To put us upon self-reflection If Christ be your head 1. You must stand under a correspondent Relation to Christ be members of his mystical body which is done by faith and repentance 2. None can be a true Members of Christ body who doth not receive vital Influence from him Rom. 8.9 It is not enough to be members of some visible church they that are united to him have life there is an influence of common Gifts according to the part we sustain in the body A common Christian hath common Graces those gifts of the spirit which God gives not to the Heathen World as knowledge of the Mysteries of Godliness ability of utterance about heavenly things Heb. 6.4 3. If Christ be our head we must make conscience of the Duties which
fullness of him that filleth all things Eph. 1.23 Head and Members make up one perfect Man or mystical Body which is called the fullness of Christ Eph. 4.13 Otherwise it would be a maimed Christ or a Head without a Body and therefore we should not doubt but he will raise us up with him Secondly The charge and office of Christ which he will attend upon and see that it be carefully performed Iohn 6.39 This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but raise it up again at the last day as none so nothing in the Prophets expression concerning the good Shepherd not so much as a leg or a piece of an ear that he should be carefull to preserve every one who belongs to his charge and what ever befalls them here he is to see them forth coming at the last day and to give a particular account of them to God Now certainly Christ will be very careful to fulfill his charge and make good his office Thirdly There is the Mercy of God through the Merits of Christ towards his faithful ones who have hazarded their bodies and their bodily interests for his sake 1 Thess. 4.14 If we believe that Iesus dyed and rose again even those also which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him Upon the belief of Christs death and Resurrection depends also the raising of their bodies that dye for the Testimony of Christ or by occasion of Faith in Christ and that so certainly and speedily that they that dye not at all shall at the day of Judgment have no advantage of those that have layen in the Grave so many years the raising of the one being in the same twinkling of an eye with the change of the other for the Apostle saith they that are alive shall not prevent them that are a sleep So 2 Cor. 4.14 Knowing that he that raised up the Lord Iesus shall raise us up also with Iesus and present us with you He gives it as the reason why he had the same spirit of Faith with David who in his sore afflictions professed his confidence in God because he believed he spake So they do profess the Faith of Christ though imminent death and danger is always represented to them as before their eyes because they stedfastly believed that God would raise them to a glorious estate through Christ therefore did they openly proclaim what they did Believe concerning him To the same purpose to confirm Timothy against all danger of death 1 Tim. 6.13 I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickneth all things that is as thou believest that God is able and will raise thee from the dead that thou hold out constantly unto the death and do not shrink for persecution 2. It proveth that to the faithful it shall be a blessed and a glorious Resurrection 1. Because Christs Resurrection is not only a cause but a pattern of ours there is not onely a Communion between the Head and Members in the Mystical Body but a conformity The members were appointed to be conformed to their Head as in obedience and sufferings so in happiness and glory here in the one hereafter in the other Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated us to be conformed to the Image of his Son As Christ was raised from the dead so we shall be raised from the dead God raised him from the dead and gave him glory and honour that your Faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1.21 So God will raise us from the dead and put glory and honour upon us There is indeed a glory put upon Christ far surpassing the glory of all created things but our glory is like his for quality and kind though not for quantity degree and measure as to those prerogatives and priviledges which his body in his Exaltation is endowed withall Such a glory it is that Christ shall be admired in his Saints the World shall stand gazing at what he means to do 2. By the grant of God They have a right and title to this glorious estate being admitted into his family they may hereafter expect to be admitted into his presence The Holy Spirit abideth in them as an earnest till it be accomplished Eph. 1.14 Ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession The Spirit of Holiness marketh and distinguisheth them as Heirs of Promise from all others The mark or seal is the impression of Christ's Image on the soul this seal becomes an earnest or part of payment which is a security or assurance to us that more will follow a fuller conformity to Christ in the glorious estate and this earnest doth continue till the redemption of the purchased possession the purchased possession is the Church and their redemption is their final deliverance Eph. 4.30 when their bodies are redeemed from the hands of the grave See Rom. 8.28 VSES I. Vse Is to perswade you to the belief of two grand Articles of Faith the Resurrection of Christ and your own Resurrection 1. The Resurrection of Christ. The raising of Christ from the dead is the great prop and foundation of our Faith 1 Cor. 15.14 If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith also is vain All the Apostles preaching was built upon this supposition that Christ died and rose again Partly because this is the great evidence of the truth of the Christian Religion for hereby Christ was evidenced to be what he gave out himself to be the eternal Son of God and the Saviour of the World whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he raised him from the dead Acts 23.31 that is the ground of Faith and Assurance So Acts 13.33 God hath raised Iesus from the dead for it is written Thou art my son c. Partly to shew that he is in a capacity to convey life to others both spiritual and eternal which if he had remained under the state of death could not be The life of Believers is derived from the life of Christ Ioh. 14.19 Because I live c. If he had been holden of death he had neither been a fountain of Grace nor Glory to us 1 Pet. 1.3 He hath begotten us unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead Partly because the raising of Christ is the pledge of Gods omnipotency which is our relief in all difficult cases the power which raised Christ exceedeth all contrary powers Eph. 1.20 21. Now the resurrection of Christ besides the veritableness of the report manifested by the circumstances when a great stone was rolled at the mouth of the Sepulchre a guard of Souldiers set to watch against all fraud and impostures yet he brake thorow his frequent Apparitions to the Apostles yea to 500 disciples at once 1 Cor. 15.6 a great part of which were alive to testifie the truth of
made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Now we must see the reasons of this course or way of Reconciling the world that we may not mistake Gods design nor be possessed with any imaginations which are derogatory to Gods honour as suppose if we should hence conceit that God is all wrath and justice unwilling of himself to be Reconciled to man or that he delighteth in blood and is hardly drawn to give out grace Oh no these are false misprisions and misrepresentations of God Therefore let us a little inquire into the reasons why God took this way to Reconcile all things to himself and ordained Christ to bear the chastisement of our peace I answer That the Justice of God might be eminently demonstrated the Lawgiver vindicated and the breach that was made in the frame of Government repaired and God manifested to be a hater of sin and yet the sinner saved from destruction and that the love of God might be eminently and conspicuously discerned and our peace the better secured As let us a little see these things more particularly I begin 1. With the holyness of Gods nature who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity Hab. 1.13 that is so as to approve of it or altogether connive at it so as to let it go without punishment or mark of his displeasure therefore some way must be found out to signifie his purest holiness and his hatred and detestation of sin and that it should not be pardoned without some testimony of his displeasure against it we are told God hateth the workers of iniquity Psal. 5.5 and the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness Psalm 11.7 and therefore when God was to grant his universal pardon he would not do it without this propitiatory atonement 2. The honour of his governing Justice was to be secured and freed from any blemish that the awe of God might be kept up in the World In the mystery of our Redemption we must not look upon God onely as pars laesa the wronged party but as Rector Mundi God was to carry himself as the Governour of the World Now there is a difference between a private person and a governour private persons may pass by offences as they please but a governour must do right and what conduces to the publick good There is a twofold notion that we have of publick right Iustum est quod fieri debet and justum est quod fieri potest That which ought to be done or we are unjust as for instance to punish the righteous equally with the wicked that Abraham pleadeth Gen. 18.25 That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the Righteous with the wicked and that the Righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee shall not the Iudge of all the earth do right Not that Abraham mindeth God of his Office but he was confidently assured of the nature of God that he could not do otherwise But now there is justum quod fieri poâ—est which if it be done or if it be not done the party is not unjust the first part of Justice is paying of debts the second exacting or requiring of debts Now the Judge of the World doth all things wisely and righteously the question is therefore whether God passing by the offences of the World without any satisfaction required doth deal justly As a free Lord he may make what Laws he pleases but as a just Judge with respect to the ends of government he doth that which is for publick good The right of passing by a wrong and the right of releasing a punishment are different things because punishment is a common interest and is referred to a common good to preserve order and government and for example to the future The Government of the world required it that God should stand on the satisfaction of Christ and the submission of the sinner that he may be owned and reverenced as the just and holy Governour of the World a valuable compensation is insisted on for this end Rom. 2.25 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faâ—th in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remiâ—â—ion of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus 3. To keep up the Authority of his Law God had made a former Covenant which was not to be quitted and wholly made void but upon valuable consideration therefore if it broken and no more ado made about it all respect and obedience to God would fall to the ground The Law may be considered either as to the precept or sanction the Authority of the precept is kept up by Christs submission to the Law and living by the same rules we are bound to live by and performing all manner of obedience to God for it behoved him to fulfill all Righteousness Matth. 3.15 being set up as a pattern of holiness in our nature to which we are to be conformed But that which is most considerable in this case is the sanction or penalty if this should be relaxed and no satisfaction required it might leave upon God the blemish of levity mutability and inconstancy the Law was not given in jest but in the greatest earnest that ever Law was given and so solemn a Transaction was not constituted to no purpose therefore God will not part with the Law upon light terms Gal. 4.4 5. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the Law to Redeem them that were under the Law That men may kâ—ow that it is a dangerous thing to transgress his Law and that they may fear and do no more presumptuously pâ—rtly that it might not foster in us hopes of impunity which are very natural to us Gen. 3.5 The devil sâ—â—ks to weaken the truth of Gods threatningâ— Deut. 29.19 20. We are apt to look upon the threatnings of the Law as a vain scare-crow Therefore for the terror and warning of sinners for the future God would not release us from the punishment till our surety undertook our Reconciliation with God by bearing the chastisement of our peace 4. Christ death was necessary to make sin odious and obedience more acceptable to us 1. Sin more odiâ—us or hateful no other remedy would servé the turn to procure the pardon and destruction of it then the bloody death of thâ— cross Rom. 8.3 Surely it is no small thing for which the Son of God must dye when you read or hear of Christs sufferings you should never think an extenuating and favourable thought of it more 2. To commend obedience for Christs suffering death at the command of his Father was the noblest piece of service and highest act of obedience that ever could or can be performed unto God It is beyond any thing that can be done
by Men or Angels There was in it so much love to man so much self-denyal humility and patience so much resignation of himself to God who had appointed him to be our Redeemer that it cannot be parallel'd The great and most remarkable thing in Christs death was obedience Rom. 5.18 Phil. 2.7 8. God delighted not in more blood but blood offered in obedience as the best way to impress upon man a sense of his duty and to teach him to serve and please God at the dearest rate 5. This death commendeth the love of God to us for it is the great demonstration of it Many draw a quite contrary conclusion as if he were with much a do brought to have mercy on us but they forget that he is first and chief in the design 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ Reconciling the World unto himself Christ came from heaven to declare to us the greatness of Gods love God thought nothing too dear for us not the Son of his love nor his death ignominy and shame Rom. 5.8 God commendeth his love in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us When we had alienated our hearts from God refused his service and could expect nothing but the rigour of his Law and vindictive Justice then he spared not his own Son to bring about this Reconciliation for us 6. As God is pacifyed so it gives us hopes our business lyeth not with a God offended but with a God Reconciled if we had not to do with a pacifyed God who could lifâ— up his face to hâ—â— or think a comfortable thought of him but this gives us hope Rom. 5.10 For iâ— when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life We were enemies by sin in us which God hateth and declareth his wrath against it in the Law Then by the satisfaction wrought by Christ we were restored to his favour so far that free and easie conditions were procured in the Gospel and his spirit is offered to prepare and fit us for a Life of Glory We have heard what Christ hath done Thirdly What assurance have we that this peace is obtained Consciences are not easily settled therefore some visible evidences are necessary that God is pacifyed I shall name three or four 1. Christ Resurrection and Ascension into glory this shews that God was propitiated and hath accepted the ransom that was given for Souls We read Rom. 4.25 that he dyed for our offeâ—ces and rose again for our Justification his dying noteth his satisfaction his rising again the acceptance of it God by raising him up from the dead shewed that he had received the death of his Son as a sufficient ransom for our sins for he dyed in the quality of a surety and in that quality was raised up again By his death he made the payment by his Resurrection the satifaction of it was witnessed to the World for then our surety was let out of prison Isa. 53.8 He shall be taken from prison and from judgment in his death he was in effect a prisoner under the arrest of divine vengeance but when he rose again he was discharged therefore there is great weight layed upon it as to our acquittance Rom. 8.34 yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God There is some special thing in his Resurrection comparatively above his death which hath influence on our Justification that is it was a visible evidence given to the World that enough was done for the expiation of sins and to assure us of our deliverance if we be capable and his ascension into glory doth further witness it he being exalted to the greatest dignity is able to defend and protect his people and hath the advantage of interceding with his father for the supply of all our wants 2. The grant of the New Covenant which is therefore called the Covenant of his peace Isa. 54.10 The Covenant of my peace shall not be removed Ezek. 37.26 I will make a Covenant of peace with them it is so called not only because thereby this peace and Reconciliation is offered to us but the terms are stated and the conditions required are far more equitable gracious and commodious for us then the terms of the Law Covenant Man as a sinful creature is obnoxious 〈◊〉 Gods wrath for the violation of the Law of nature and so might perish without remedy and no impeachment to Gods goodness can happen thereby but when God will give bounds to his soveraignty over him and câ—ter into terms of Covenant witâ— him and give him a bottom to stand upon whereon to expect good things from him upon the account of his faithfulness and righteousness this is a condescension and so far condescended in the first Covenant that after that man hath cast away the mercies of his creation and his capacity to fulfill that covenant this was mere mercy and grace that God would enter into a second Covenant it is not from any mutableness in God but from the merit and satisfaction of a Redeemer Surely there must be some great and important cause to change alter and abrogate a covenant so solemnly made and established to lay aside one covenant and to enter into an other especially since the former was so Holy Righteous and Equal fit for God to give and us in the state we then were in to receive Now what was the important reason Christ came to salve Gods honour in the first covenant and to secure the ends of his Government though a second covenant should be set up the blood of his cross hath made this Covenant everlasting Heb. 13.20 and upon gracious terms doth convey great and precious priviledges to us 3dly The pouring out of the spirit which certainly was the fruit and effect of Christs death and also an evidence of the worth and value of it The Apostle telleth us That Christ was made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles by faith in Iesus Christ. And what blessing was that the gift of the Spirit Gal. 5.13 14. And in another place when he interpreteth the Types of the Law He telleth us that the Fathers did all eat of the same spiritual meat that we do and did all drink of the same spiritual drink for they drank of the Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. If the Rock was Christ the water that gâ—shed out of the Rock was the spirit often compared to waters in Scripture Iohn 4.14 And Iohn 7.38 39. And the Rock yielded not this water till it was smitten with the Rod of Moses a figure of the curses of the Law Christ was stricken and smitten of God and so procured the spirit for us Iohn 7.39 The Holy Ghost was not yet given for Iesus was not yet glorifyed That is had not finished his passion and the acceptance of it was not yet attested to